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Tom Weir
2005-12-08, 09:06 PM
Hi all,
At AU in Orlando I had the pleasure of sitting in on a Breakfast Roundtable discussion of trends in the structural engineering field. The goal of the session was to share what we think are important industry trends and issues. It was a high level discussion, not a technical product feature exchange. Jos Arpink and Greg Kite who post on this forum also attended (and might help me remember some of what went on if they read this).
I wanted to share some of what went on and expand the discussion here on the forum to hear what others might be thinking.

What is driving the industry right now at your office? What are the issues and trends that you are facing as an engineering office or department on a daily basis?

1. One of the main points discussed was the need for downstream value capture and how BIM could help.

2. We noted how more and more Design Build projects were pushing the general contractors to BIM and that direct connections from design to fabrication is taking root.

3. We spoke of the need to link structural analyses and document processes to produce greater efficiencies in the overall design.

4. We talked about how tight fees and fierce competition were pushing us to innovate and get things done quicker and with better quality.

5. The need to deliver complete engineered systems was noted.

Well, that is some of what I remember (it was early and I was a bit jet lagged).
What's happening with your office?

Thanks and have a great day...

Tom Weir
Los Angeles